,555 



671 
S55 
opy 1 



WHO ARE THE TORIES? 



SPEECH 



OF 




At Toledo, Thursday, August 24, 1871. 



REVIEW OF THE DEMOCRACY— A RULE OF RUIN, REPUDIATION, 
ELECTION FRAUDS, CORRUPTION, AND KU-KLUX DIABOLISM. 



THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ONE OP, ORDER, LIBERTY, HONESTY, 

AND PROGRESS. 



Fellow- Citizens: I come among you to-night by appointment of the Republican 
State Committee, to state such reasons as occur to me why the Republican party, 
rather than the Democratic party, should be entrusted with the direction of public 
affairs in the State ot Ohio and in the United States. From the nature of free institu- 
tions, but two parties can, with effect, at the same time contest for supremacy, and 
their general principles and tendencies are the only basis of an intelligent vote. Third 
parties on collateral issaes, draw from the party most friendly to their especial object 
the greater number of votes, and thus defeat the very object in view. Voters are like 
jurymen — a great mass of questions of fact and law may be submitted to them, but tho 
verdict must be for the plaintiff or the defendant — for one party or the other as a whole. 

The two great parties of this country are historical parties, powerful in organiza- 
tion, numbers, and discipline. Let us, at the outset, get a general view of them 
before discussing the particular issues involved. It is manifest that the Republican 
party is the positive, progressive, affirmative, and controlling party of this country, 
for it has proposed and executed every great measure of public policy for the past twelve 
years. It has administered the Government in war and in peace. _ Look over our 
history for twelve years and you must see a multitude of obstacles it has overcome, 
and of great problems it has solved. The union of these States, threatened by a 
formidable rebellion, has not only been preserved, but it has been strengthened; until 
it is now conceded to be one of the most powerful governmeats on the face of the 
globe. Slavery, which from the beginning was the disturbing element in our Govern- 
ment, is forever abolished. The rights of every citizen have been defined and placed 



under the protection of the National Government, while all the multitude of questionri 
that from time to time have arisen, have been happily solved. This great party can 




ighten- 



o industry profitably 



away under our policy, to taxes diminished and diminisbin; 
employed, and to a general condition of prosperity. 

THE PARTY OF OPPOSITION. 

On the other hand, it must be conceded that the Demoera*ic party is simply a party 
of opposition. Daring all this time, on every question that has arisen, great and 
small, on the war and the issues of the war, and on all the collateral questions that 
arose during or since the war, we have had the general persistent opposition of the 
Democratic party. This opposition did not wait for time or place. In the darkest 
hours of the Republic — in 1803 and 1864 — when the rebels threatened our national ex- 
istence, when English pirates burnt our ships, when our people were wearied, and 
burdened, and in sorrow with the loss of kindred and friends, in the doubtful con- 
flict over the amendments, in our financial troubles, the Democratic organization 
never ceased their opposition, and yet never proposed any affirmative measure. 
There v/ere grades of opposition, from the war waged by Davis and Lee, to the par- 
liamentary opposition of Democratic members of Congress, and thegloomy announce- 
ment by the Democratic National Convention that the war was a failure ; yet still in 
every stage of the conflict, daring the war and since, the Democratic party has been 
a pi-rty of oppobitioa. And this day, although the part^ in Ohio^ leaves aiichal- 
lenged the Conetitutional amendments, yet it is now here in Ohio simply a party ia 
opposition, without a single affirmative proposition of a political character. 



2 ."555^ 

WUO ARE THE TOKIKS? — THE CHARACTER 01' THE OPPOSITION. 

There is an advantage which the Democratic party gains from its character as a 
■purely oppowitlon party. It follows that where a positive party moves forward in its 
ik-ork of progress, however glorious and successful, an opposition party will follow ia 
iSs wake, like a shark in the wake of a vessel, to take advantage of jealouisii^s, bick- 
erings, and divisions inseparable from human organizations, to catch here and there 
disappointed men and to magnify tiifling errors and mistakes. In thi.s reeptcl the 
Democratic party performs the precise role of the Tory party of England. f.'"hen 
the Liberal party in England makes an advance in tlie line of progress, some douhs 
mg supporters take shelter in the Tory ranks : but the current movement of the 
■Qasses reinforces the Liberal party, and the sure and inevitable progress of liberal 
ideas goes on. In this way the Government of England is slowly changing from an 
aristocratic monarchy to a republic, governed by the House of Commons. So in 
liis country the bold, affirmative and progressive lead of the Kei/ubliran party m.iy 
aow and then meet a check, but it has not to wait long until an enlightened public 
tfcntiment suiiports it, and its measures are acquiesced in by even the Democratic 
jiarty. In this way the great measures of the war, and especially the Consritution ;1 
Amer dmcnts, were proposed, adopted, and acquiesced in. Some'lmes those who 
separated from us on those measures rejoin their old ranks in the ilepublican party, 
*nd act in hearty co-operation with us. Sometimes the heat of controversy attaches 
Ihem to the Democratic party. But now, when the Democratic party acquiesce in 
negro suffrage, and promise in their platform to secure to every man equal rights and 
privileges, without distinction of race or color, the logic of events should bring them 
•gain to the Republican ranks. The very groinid of their opposition is waived hj 
Ihe Democratic party. What is there that should separate those who act-jd togethsr 
duiing the war? The negro has his vof.e, and you cannot take it from him without a 
revolution. Even th" Democratic leaders in Ohio nonilnaliy and haltingly acquiesce 
in the changes that have I)een made. The broken d -oris of the rebellion, repre- 
iiented by Davis. Stephens, Toombs, and the imprarticadle visionaries represented 
ly the Commoner of Cincinnati, by Brick Pomeroy and the like, hold to the old 
feith. But where are the converts who left us on the-e questi ns? Col. Conneil 
tell's you where he is. Your able and excellent citizen Mr. Hurd tells y-n wh' re ha 
is. Gen. Ewing shonld l)e again among us. Kven .(ohn^rn .-houid again apply for 
sdmission into our ranks. The logic of impartial mcti will say that the Democratic 
farty have by their new departure .mrrenderfid all their co.-iverts since the war, and 
with them the vitalizing spirit of their political organization. 

Look again at these grerit parties in another aspect. Ihe Democratic p;'.-"ty, 
while it embraces a multitude of good men, al.so embraces all the worst {ipstible 
elements of American life. Irs reserved strenf^th is in the rebels of the South — the 
taost infamous organization of modern times, one that combines every element of 
•ianger, terror, secrecy, violence, and fraud; that uses as its instruments murder, 
atrso". whipping- banishment; that executes its ;;ec ret orders by disi^uised outlaw;, 
•ift midnight ; tliat .shi'^ids crime from punishment by onranized perjury in the jury- 
iiox and on the witness-s'aiid. This organization, called the Ku-Klux Klar, is the 
tight hand of the Democratic party in the South. I's primary object is to control the 
»egr» vote of those States. Do you doubt the existence, the character, or objects of 
»&i:; org.inization ? It is proven by a multitude of witaesjes of every degree of intel- 
ligence and standing in society- It is jtroveu by imurnerable crimes a ■. well estab- 
Ksbed as the mnrder of Xathan. It ii proven by olRcers of the army, officers of the 
tourt, judges, iawytrs. priests, especially by school teachers, who are a chief object 
frfhate; by dead bodies, and niuti!:ited mf^n, women aid children: the ashes of 
Itmdreds of humble cabins, by the report of a Congressional committee of b:th 
(parties, and by the almost daily story of the public press It is tlie gloomest fact in the 
ipresent condition of our country, it is impo.ssible to m.ike people living in a country 
nrliere law and order prevail to comprehend the e.\isience of .such a secret, oath- 
Buxund clan, daring in crime, and strong enough to defy all punishment. 
Wi passed a very stringent law to cuiable the President to put down this 
rifcmal gang, and the cry from the Democratic party is not against the criminals, 
^ut against the law tor tiicir Hupiirossion and punishment, i h.ive heard and real 
♦keir denunciations of the Ivu Khix bill, but never an honest, hearty dcnuuciaticm 
•fthe Kulvlu\. Now, fellow citizens, is it not a d;ingerous element of the Demo- 
♦ratic party tliat their only hope to carry great Slates is ()y the instrumentality of 
»uch an ojganization as this, that such an agency is neeiled t.i deprive the negroes 
•f tl;e right to vote, that such allies are needed liy North, rii Democrats to give them^^^ 
Aclumoe for power? 4HI 

A KlO.Vlil'fl. IMUCT.MKNT. ^VH 

And the men who control this devilisli power openly repudiate the very promisesj 
you have made in your platform. JelFerson D.ivis, who owes his life to the mistaken 
eleincncy of the Government, telLs you in a public .speech that he acquieecea in 



nothing, that he accepts nothing, that your talk of accepting the situation is but tl« 
excuses of cowards, that you are filled with that jealousy which springs from-* 
knowledge of your inferiority, threatens a future war, and says the rebel cause wiiJ 
, still succeed. Alexander H. Stephens, in the carefully- studied phrases of the closet, 
"tells you that the constitutional amendments are unconstitutional, fraudulent, an4 
void, and that any departure from this position is fatal to the liberties of the 
country- Toombs, whose blustering is a fair type of the spirit of the rebellion, 
denounces the new departure of the Northern Democracy, and says that he hopes t9 
..Jive to see another war and Southern independence, and that they are trainiag their 
children for the work. Governor Leslie, of Kentucky, now backed by a majority of 
40,000 Democrats in that State, says: "As to the thirteenth, fourteenth, and 
fifteenth amendments, I am out and out opposed to them, I care not who in Indianaj 
Ohio, or elsewhere may be for them." I might follow those opinions with the opin- 
ions of nearly all the leading men of the South, and of the press of the South, &n4 
thus fortify the assertion that the Democratic platform is an open fraud, and thai 
those who will control the course of that party will split upon your platform an^l 
openly disregard the promises you have made in it. 

Let me appeal to any fair man who believes in candor and honor in politics, if the 
Democratic party has not in it, in eleven States where its strength lies, elements off 
danger which should forbid any patriotic man from supporting it? How can you act 
in conceit with the KuKlux Klan without participating in its crimes? How can yo» 
vote the same ticket with unchanged rebels of the South without sharing in their 
spirit? How can you in honor promise the negro protection and equality in political 
or civil rights when you vote with the man who would deprive them of every rightT 
How can you fiercely arraign the law and be silent as to the crimes — open, palpable 
crimes — it is framed to prevent and punish? 

And tlsere is another dangerous element in the Democratic party which ought Ui 
set men to thinking. It had its outcrop in the recent riot in New York. There i« 
oneaiiomin American politics, purchased by the blood of millions of men, engrafted 
in our State Constitutions and in the fir-t amendments to the Constitution'of the 
United States. It is religious liberty. The free exercise of religion is declared t* 
be the inherent right of every citizen. Toleration is a right and a duty. It hijs 
always been a mader of regret and surprise to me that the great mass of the Iriak 
Catholics belong to the Democratic party, and have clung to its fortune in eveiy 
varying phase of its history. Still, they have the right to follow such guides as th^ 
choose, and I would be the last man to make a test against them because of their 
religion or politics. But their power has become so strong as practically to control 
the great commercial city of the country, and some of their societies threatened te 
interfere with a Protestant society in doing what Catholics have often opsnly and 
ostentatiously done, namely, to assemble and march in civic and military processions. 
The opposition was carried so far that the Mayor of the city yielded to their threats,, 
but Governor IloU'man revoked the order and the Protestant procession, dwindled by 
fear, commenced their march under the guard of the police and militia. Then f(d- 
lowed the riot, and since the riot we have had threats without number that no Orange 
procession shall ever again march through the streets of New York. In this same 
city, where a religious test is made, and where the right of peaceful assembly is dils- 
puted, we have new evidence of the most scandalous frauds ever recorded ia muni- 
cipal history. This city is under the absolute domination of the Democratic party., 
They boast of 60,000 majority. They can increase it, as they have increased it before^ 
by open frauds. 

DEMOCRATIC K.VI.LOTIiOX STUFFING AND PLCXDERINf; — A CONTRAST. 

They have introduced into our politics the ballot-box stulSng of the border ruffians, 
and supported by such frauds, give us a specimen of Democratic rule, the most ope® 
and scandalous speculation in American history. The recent disclosures taken froca 
the books of Comptroller Connolly show payments to the enormous sum of $9,786,0(>© 
to three firms in New York for carpets and repair to the Court-house and county 
buildings. The debt of that city, under a Deaiocratic administration, has iacreaseel 
since the 1st day of January, 18G9,/rom $33,407,017 to $100,925,938 on the 81st of 
July of this year; an increase in thirty-one months of $00,518,289. During the same 
months the National debt, under a Republican Administration, has decreased $2li'g- 
108,40L 

I ask you, fellow-citizens, to look over the whole field and say if every elcmen* 
which now endangers American society, which threatens our Union or would subv>e3r* 
its fundamental principles, is not now to be found in the Democratic party? Tb€ 
Republican party, on the other hand, is composed of the great mass of the voters of the 
Northern and Middle States, of nine tenths of those who fought for their country, of 
a large majority of peaceful, industrious, and temperate people. No doubt we have 
divisions among us on many questions, we have made mistakes, we have our fair shar« 
of the frailties and feebleness of humanity, but no iaipartial Democrat can say thi^ 



anything in tho Republican organization, its principles, its measures, its conduct or 
its tendencies, endangers the satety or honor of the country or any of the fandameatal 
principles of the Government. 

WUAT THE OHIO DKMOCIIACY CHAUGE — M'cOOS. SILEVCED. 



But, fellow-citizens, in this political contest we do not rebt solely upon the general 
iew of our measures We give the Democratic party the advantage they have as a 




Inen, we will receive your fire.'' It is no v two months since both parties an- 
i)Our;ced their principles and nominated their candidates. The Republican party 
have held no public me^'ings i-i;ice that time. I. for one, have had a period of de- 
lightful leisure. The people of the S:ate have gothered in a bounteous crop. The 
mac'-iinery of the Government goes smoothly on. The general condition of the 
countrj is jrosperous in a hi^:^h degree. No political misfortme has occurred 
except the New Yrrk riot. We have received the fire of our adversaries, 
s?.nd what does it amount to? V.'hat does Gen. McCook say? As the standard- 
bearer of the Democratic party we naturally look to him for good reasons why 
he, lather fhan General Noyes, a wounded soldier, shouli be Governor o<' Ohio ; 
or v.-liy his party rather ihan the Republican party should administer the Govern- 
rae^ t. I have no quair-l with iii-j svords or phrases, which are vtry well. There 
i:^ in 1 is Fpeech aa ei'tire absence of specific allegation. This campaign 
was staited with 'he highsoun-riing flourish of a r.ew departure. We v.'ere to 
have an active movement of the Democratic pav.y, standio? firmly upon the amend- 
ments to the Constitution, negro suffrage and all, and striking out to the right and 
the left with something of the vigor of the Democratic par'y of old. But what of 
the new departure ? Is it in the grave of Vallaiidigbam? Is it throttled by the omi- 
Lovis voi es of JeiF. Davi?. Stephens, Toombs, and Leslie? Is it what Cnl Conr.ea 
a!)d Mr. Iluvd call i'', a transparent Iraud? You look in vain to Gen. McCook fjr 
any information on this point. He glides over all the rugg«d issues of American 
folitics v/ith grave geueraliiics. You can tind ia his speech that Col. Bowen was 
• ardoiied witen he ought not to have been. He expregses his opinion th.it San Do- 
)ningo acquisition, deiL-ated by a Republican Senate, was an imprudent ms-asure. 
H^ complains about the act of Congress to strengthen the public credit. He even 
complains that the United States did not allow a suit to be brought in the United 
Staie.'j Court co test the eons' ruction of the five- twenty bo::ds, as if that was a qucs 
ticu fjr the couits and not for Congress. He complains of our tariff laws, and 
thir.ko we ought to improvs them. In thort, my friend McCook follows the old 
Dt.mocratic role of prcposing nothing and complaining of everything. He neither 
stands up for the D<;mooratic platform as it was made, nor d.)es he bfllly repudiate 
it or give us another plutf',rm of lii.s own. What object does he propose by a change 
of adiiiii;i.<tra.tiuu that risss to th? dignity of a political issue? Now, on the Bowen 
question. I tniiik Gar,. Grant yielded to his sin. 'ere sympathy for the wife of Bowen, 
the daughter of Mr. Pe'. tigue, c ne of the very few eminent ratziots of South Carolina. 
O-i the Sun Domin:ro qu stton General McCook need I).'»rrow no trouble. The Re- 
publican party v/ill take care of it. Oa the tariff question, we will give us rapid a 
reduction of duties as the public service will allow. And on the amnesty question, 
we have and will extend amnesty to all who do not favor a future rebellion. 

THE GOOO FOnTU.VK OV THE r.EPfBUCAN' I'AllTY— rCKlTT OF IHE PliESlDEST. 

Fortunate it is for a great parly that it has adrainhstered a Govarnment of forty 
millions of people in trying times so that its adversaries hare no basi.s of complaint 
except in the petty shreds of unimportant dolails. Who cares where General Grant 
spend.s bi.s summer, so tliat ho doe.5 not neglect his public duty and is within easy 
i'pach._ _\\'hat the people of the country want i.s au earnest, manlv, honest discliarge 
of political obligation.s. and they alwa>s allow for an honest it-difft-rence of opinion 
and for ones o-^n choice of perso:-.al habits and j,S50ciatious. On the San Domingo 
question, \.hich huA been made the cliff object of attack on General Grant, his 
course has been manly and honorable, lie believed that island was of great value 
to us, and sought to acquire it. It w;i3 only when Lis motives wore attacked that he 
evinced feeling, un.d demanded an invo6iigd.tion. When that relieved him froai 
every shadow of blame, he properly, in an admirable raeBsage. turned the matter 
over to Congress and the poopl«, iiad, his duty done, dismissed the suljject from his 
caro. 1 did not vote for tiie San l)i)ini<igo treaty, but iti Jil! the heated controversy 
that grew out of it, 1 ullimi tl;al tliat tliere was not a shadow of evidence.that tended 
to iinjiu^n the honesty, sincerity, or puriiy of Gen. Gratt in the whole transaction. 

fiKMlRAI. MontJAN FXl'O.SED AND CO.VVICTED. 

Let us turn from General McCook to General Morgan, whose fire was delivered more 
than two months ago. It is full of figures and details, but most of it I recognize as 



D 



au old acqualniaiice ot" a year ago, v>'ufea ii, was lu,ij auswerta. x.e ttiL us .hat tCie 
fatal mi..take" made by Mr. I.uicplu was in accepting tae resignation of ^o^thern 
officeis before the war con^menced. He says they should have been arrested and 
held as prisoners cf wav. How v.-ou!d the srrest of those men betcre a single blow 
had been s'ruck have bten received by the Democratic party? Snades ot habeas 
corpus arise and answer. P cr Mr. Lincoln was a long-suffering and paaent man, 
but he would think it hard usage to require of him foreknowledge to foresee m Llarch, 
1861, the part that each cf these (Sicers would play iti the great drama that was to 
follow. Pnd then onW to arrest Lee. Johnson, and Longstreet, who wer^ the only 
officers that proved worth arresting. How foolish a charge Ilheir arrest then would 
have been in violation "of law, and any judge would have diseaarg^d them on av,r.t 
oi habeas corpus. . ,. , , -, ^i ii j^^.'i 

Ao-ain he says, that the creation of She public debt was;' worse than a blunder , 
thaty.'e ought to have colectel enough taxes to havacaraea on tae war. \\ nat ooes 
Gov. Chase sav about this strsinge idea? We took tais Government from Democraac 
hands, with no legacy bat a slaveholders' rebellion. We ha.i no ^■^'^^^'^.f''^}';^^ 
for war or peace; no national currency, no system of internal tases. We impio- 
vised these as soon as practicable, and all intelligent men give Gov. Caa^e and Con- 
gress great credit for the rapiii'y and success with wh.ch we levied tase. aad thus 
paid part of the expenses of the war during tae war._ I linoy/ tae i.).^mocra.!C party 
onno'ed everv measure relating to taxes as unconstitutional. And eow (jeii. l'.qv- 
ean tells us we did not levy ta.-ces enough. It is sufficient fo say that tne atiempt to 
collect taxe= durin-rsVe war to nay the whole of the immease expenses ot the war 
would have been suicide, a.i-.i was not proposed by any living ca^n oi any pany aur- 
insr ttie war. 

MORGAN- AND KEPUDIAT ION— SSLI.T HATRED OF MASSACHUSETTS. 

But now, since the debt is unhappily ncade, Gen. ^lorgan proposes as the cheapest 




a 1 nanas. must oe paiu lu go-m. t. ^^^^ "<^ "-■- -— - -• . - ' . .' .,;,^. ^ 

of gold to pav the interest? If he will pay the int,-.rest in greenbacKS, it is ample 
repadiaiion, oneo, disiinct, and glaring, and repu^ lation is a crime more terrib.e by 
a nation than murder is by an individual. But what f 1 the principal ct the deb./ 
He would pay this also in greenbacks. Where woula he get them Iseavly all tnat 
come into the Treasury are absorbed by expenses of the Government and the in- erest 
Th^ .surplus is now applied to the principal. Would he print more greenbacks ? 
Would he inflate the currency, derange all values, and violate the pledge of our :oan 
laws, and that merely to cheat the public creditor oiit ot the Giiier|nce between 
L're-nbacks and gold? This again is repudiation, and the meanest Kind. 
^Fe low citizens, wade as you will through these visionary fog ba.ks ot doubt and 
error, you come back after all to the old and ..ise saying, '• Hones. v is ..he beet 
policy." The true noUcy is to make the greenbacks equal to gold as rapiclly as pos- 
kblef and to pay off the national debt, every dollar ot it, m the money of^niaolund^ 
There was some doubt as to the construction of the legal-tender clause o. tae foan 
Hw of February. 1860, but thai doubt was removed, and wisely removed.^ by tbe a.;t 
of March. 1869,' and the national debt already, under a wise administration, cases 

'''llt^G::'^^ says about equality^of tax, the tax on ^^^o^^^^^ 
and the mechanic, he will not find many people m Guio who do not kno.v tLat the 
exemptfon of Government bonds from State ta.xes is a constituuonal exempaon, 
proS£ed by all the courts and by all parties in all times ot our history, and ha. 
l\e Government fully get the benefit of this exemption by the reduced rate of in.e e.t 
faid on their bonds. Why does he not state this. Agam : v\ hy does he at great 
enih parade the payment to Massachu^^etts of the interest, on her aavance in the 
war of 1812? I opposed 'this as well as Gen. Morgan, but it was voted lor by every 
Democratic Senator, and it was in exact accordance wiin th-3 i^recedent se in nod 
■ byrD;mocratic Congress in the case of Maryland, ^vhy omit these facts .' . Is it 
lecan^eTome i-norant fool may hate Massachusetts and the \ankees? &o again ha 
pSrcfurcf the CongressiGual Globe what Logan says as to the appropriation lor a 
^tate Dppartmert at V^ashington, and what Julian said ten years ago about land 
SaT'^ and then charges these^measures to the Republican party ^\hy does he not 
fell his hearers that all parties supported land grants until recently, and every D^-m- 
ocra in tlTe Senate and a majorily of the House voted tor the new btate Depart- 
ment? It is not by such cheating that the people are convinced. 

MORGAN AND WHOLESALE SLANDER. 

Bu^ the greatest and most unjustifiable wrong done by Gen. Morgan is iu :t palpa- 
bl?Biandefou a great number of individual citizens. He producers as he did iast 
year the statement I hold in my hand, showing balances due from Collectors of In- 
terual Revenue now out of office. They nuinb3r over three hundred, aud the bal- 



ances are over twenty millions. He calls them all defaulters, &nd this twenty millicna 
as money stolen by the Government officials. Now, this statement, as thus made, 
is a bold s'ander, shown to be so fiom the face of these papers, and the explanation 
has often been made. 

I hold in my hand the first statement, of date of May 11, 1870, giving the balances 
due from Colleciors of Internal Revenue who are not now in office. It contains 
about three hundred names, or the name of nearly every man who has ever held the 
office of Collector. The aggregate ba'ance is about twenty millions. Now, accom- 
panying this statement is a letter from Mr. Taylor, the Comj troUer of the Treasury, 
in which he says: 

*' The balances and payments, as .shown by this statement, are those which appear 
by accounts adjusted, but in many of them I have no doubt the balances will wholly 
or in part disappear when further reports and vouchers shall Lave been transmitted 
to the Auditor and been acted upon. 

'•In a large proportion of the cases, the balances against Collectors consist in 
tax-lists charged to them, but tamed over to their successors in office. 

'' Under the existing law the accounting officers cannot credit an outgoing C-jllec- 
tor with lists so turned over, unless the Commissioner of Internal Revenue ahall cer- 
tify that such outgoing Collector has used due diligence. Hitherto the practice of 
the Internal Rsvenue office has been to v^ithhold such certificates and to await the 
collection of such taxes bj the stiecessor, and allowances for such of ihem as may 
appear to be uncollectible. 

'■It is evident that this practice delays the settlement of accounts, is vexatious 
and annoying to Collectors, and puts them upon the record as apparently defaulters 
for an indfinite period of time.'' 

Gen. Morgan does not embody this statement in his speech. Under the law all as- 
sess ments by the Assessor are charged to the Collector in bulk. Different periods of 
time are allowed the Collector to make his collection, depending upon the nature of 
the tax. If he is turned out, or resi|ni-, or dies, before the taxes become due, or 
are not collected, or are uncollectible, they are turned over to his successor, but still 
remain charged to him until the final settlement of his accounts, which may be years 
afterward. In the meantime the accounts may be in process of collection or may 
prove uncollectible. There are men on this list whom it would be as unjust to call 
defaulters as to call you thieves. In the subsequent statement, of the date of Feb- 
ruary 18, 1871, which I hold in my hand, there is a list of these balances made up to 
June 30, 1870. A great many of those on the former list had, in the meantime, 
been settled, but many new removals or changes had been made. I have analyzed 
this last statement, and find on it oOl names. The aggregate of balances is S20,- 
700,98.3.03. Of the 301 Collectors, loG w(re appointed by Johnson, 128 by Lincoln, 
10 by Grant ; 7 were acting Collectors or Deputies. 

Of the removals 11? were made by Grant, 82 were made Johnson, 14 were made by 
Lincoln, and 17 resigned ; 36 were not confirmed by the Senate, 3 were suspended, 
7 died, and 29 were removed by consolidation or changes of districts. 

'I he amount of internal revenue collected up till July 1, 1871, is $1.608, 84.3, 543. 

When, therefore, the internal revenue system has yielded the enormous sum ot 
E^xteen hundred millions of dollars, the aggregate balances charged to Collectors out 
of office i:j a little over twenty millions, or about one and a quarter per cent. , and this 
includes ;he great mass of uncollectible and uncollected ai.sessments. 'I'he loss by 
the defalcation of officers will be less than three millions, or about one-fiuh of one 
percent., and the great body of this by Johnson's officials. The precise balance 
etanding charged to all these Collectors not explained by uncollected and uncollectible 
assessments is ^2,790,000; a sum hardly sufficient to cover the stealings of the Tarn 
many thievts in New York for three months. The total defalcations in Oiiio are 
*119,1G4, and, if] remember aright, the people of two Democratic counties in Ohio, 
Hancock and Coshocton, have lost more than that by Democratic County Treasurers. 
I doubt if any public service of so difficult and scattered a character will chov a less 
porceutagt of loss. 

Kwiyii a.nh ni.s n.VANciAL "new departure.'' 
Let u? now turn from General Morgan to General Ewing. Here we havo at least 
a frank and manly endorsement of the new departure. Although General Ewing 
separated from the Republican party but a short time since because of the amend- 
ments, yet he now acquiesces in them ; declares that they are as much a part of the 
Constitution as any other article or clause, and must be obeyed and enforced as suet. 
So far, good, ^ He then disputes with us the construction of the amendments, 
denounces the KuKlux bill, and fiercely arraigns Gen. Grant as a fit instrument for 
the most revolutionary designs. 

But these topics are too commonplace with him, and be proceeds at once to develd|> 
wliiit be calU a new financial departure. He proposes to issue $100,000,000 of paper 
money, make it a legal-tender, de'troy the national banks, pay off the 5-203, and 
thus make money easy and intereet light. Refore we examine this now departure. 



it is well to inquire whether it is a Democratic departure. If it 33 merely a Lw;cg 
departure we can properly leave it to console its author. If this is but a new edition 
of the paper money schemes which inspired John Law and the bouth bea bubble— 



"Those fictions of flimsy roiuauce, 
•riioso tissues of lolly which fi-s.rj has woven. 



we can leave it to the brief life and ruinous decay of the thousand such schemes that 
have risen and fallou within two centuries. Is this (he financial plan ot the L-emo- 
cratic party? If we look to the Sonth, they want no paper money, but ope^ repu- 
diation and specie payments. If we look to New York, California, Connecuou., and 
New Jewey, the only Northern States where the Democratic party have power, we 
find they utterly reject this scheme and all schemes of pa4^er money and deamnd a 
return to the bird money of the Constitution. The voice of the press in othfv States 
is ominous. If we look"to Genera! McCook, th<^ nominee for Governor, we Sad no 
countenance for such a scheme. If we look to the Democratic Judges ot .he bu- 
preme Court, we find that they hold all legal-tenders to be unconstitutiopil and 
■sToid. If we look t') ^'allandigham. whom Gen. Ewin°; eulogizes, we fand he (S.sfjMi,nds 
promnt specie pamients in his Davton refolutions. But Gen. Ewing says tn.o *4 the 
new departure of the Ohio Democracy. The only resoluuon of the Ohio i)ei_w.'acy 
that bear.-j on the subject is the 12th. That squints vaguely at tne payuient o^ ^^nds 
in greenbacks and a three per cent. loan, and perhf.ps it mey uphold Gen. te^wng s 
magnificent scheme. I am sorry he assumes the bantling. • 

■ WHY ewing's obgaxized ikflatiom must fait— RErriiiATiox AND auiv. 

As we had a Pendleton departure, that was summarily throttled in the L1..0ii ^ of 
its friends. Gen. Ewing should have taken warning from this example. 

But let nio s-ate the fatal objections to this scheme : 

1 The four Democratic Judges of the Supreme Court pronounce any schry-*: ot 
le-ral-t-nd-rs unconstitutional and void; while the fi^re Judges who sustain^ ;ur 
pr°e'=ent leo-al-tendf-r aC rp^ttrd it unon the new powers of the Government : aa I r-,ot 
^ne of thpm would uphold as const'itutional new legal-tenders in a time of pea.,«. m 
violation of our loan laws, and designed solely to cheat the pubiic creditoi-s. l)-.s 
■scheme would, then, meet at the outset the unanimous judgment of the bur^eP^e 
€ourt as unconstitutional, null and void. •, , i-- «-* 

2 jy^'^^i scheme is an e.xnress violation of our contrrict with the public cremator. 
These laws nrovide that the custom duties s'louid be paid in gold, and tliat in no- case 
shall the an^ouut of Unitpd Slates notes ever exceed fo-'.r hundred and fi.ry milhons 
of dollars. It is, therefore," an act of open, palpaole repudiation, and a crime 
affainrt civilization. ,. .l j l,. • i 1 ^ j 

3 The onlv douU. that ever existed as to the paynient pt the debt 1 a legal tenders 
was whether the notes already issued under the ac^3 creaticgthe puolic debt coalu be 
.tende-ed in payment of the nrincipal of the debt. They are now so near par m gold 
that it wou'd be idle to raise the question, even if it was an open one; but it has 
been settled by the act to strengthen the public credit that no sucn question shall be 
made until paper money shall be par wim gold. _ This settlenient of a dangerous 
question has b^en approved and acquiesced in by nine-tenths of the American people. 

4 A'^ide from all questions of public debt, the further issue ot depreciated paper 
«oney irredeemable in gold would be bad policy. No proposition m nontical econ- 

• omy is clearer, or has been established with more examples, than that irredeemable 
paper money is the irost 'ruitfal cause of misery and mistortune esrecially to the 
laboring man, the most ingenious way to fertilize the nch man s field from the sweat 
of the poor man's brow. 'The most important and dilhcult problem in hand now is 
o Vrfng our present paper money, the necessity of the war, up to the standard of 
gold ^vithout distress or contraction. This done, with a proper provision against 
panics, and %-e have the best system of currency m the world. 

5 The alleviations that this scheme will lower the rate of interest is without the 
sli.'ht*st foundation. All experience proves that paper money increases_ tne rate of 
interest, and a sudden inflation now would derange uU values, dimmish he pur- 
.cha«.n<r power of labor and drive capital into fi-ved un-tjstments, like real estate. 
Capital would flee from such a scheme as from war or pestilence. , . ... 

T. The idea of maintaining a three per cent, currency bond at anything like par is 
absurd. Its market value would at once be fixed at gold prices by sucn Democrats a.s 
Slmn U and Tweed, and the only effect of the scheme would be to cheat the public 
Stoo^t of the discount or difference, and the laborer wouH be cheated by re- 
"iSig nominally more wages, but less food and clothing. The example of Eng- 
land fdrectly the ooposite" of what is stated by Gen. Ewmg. She never reduced 
the intrrest on her debt except by offering par m gold, and pursued the very policy 
the Republican party is now pursuing to reduce her rate ot interest. 

7 Af"er the United States shall have suffered all the evils of this wild .scheme, at 
the "end of he whole stand the notes unpaid and the debt undimimshed. W e would 
•have the alternative then to pay the notes in gold, or to repudiate thi3 paper money, 



LIBRHKY Uh «^ur(ur<ii;>;i 



8 013 789 499 3 m 

ih^& completing the triumvirate of financial blots in modern times-Continental 
money French assignats, and this nameless issue now proposed. The worst is that 
wSe our forefathers and the French were driven by dire necessity to this form of 
7epud'at on we would now enter upon it with the wealth and commerce of a conti- 
Sin mir keemncr General Ewinff glides over this by saying that after all this 
paper mo/eyisToti; debt. It is a promise to pay money. If that is not a debt, what 

^^ ^ ' NATIONAL BANKS AS TAX-PAYERS. / 

P.pf )re leavine Gen. Ewing I must answer one question he puts to me, and asks the . 
aniwer he'e I sa fd that one of the benefits we derived from the National BauKiug 
.vZm was that they paid nine millions in taxes to the United States, and nine mil- 
system was, tiiai inej p ^^..^.^^ ^,^^ ^^ existence it hey would 

not ply all thesft-axes ex tpt that on cfrculation? Tanswer, not one of them. The 
Natio/al Banks now keep, and are required to keep, from ten to forty per cent more 
of heir capital in United States bonds than their circulation, ihose bonds Gen E^ 
ot t^^^^.^'^i^''^' . tavahle -t all When ihey are made the basis of banking capital 
lli:tTT^V'::rl'S^^^^^^ BZnks are destroyed these bonds are the 

property of stockholders, and that which now pays eighteen millions of tax will then 
not pay one dollar to either State or nation. 

THE REPUBLICAN TRIUMPH. 

Turn from all these varied, diversified schemes and opinions of Democratic oppo- 
4tfon omo^s wkh no common platform, to the simple, progressive, and practical 
measures of the Republican party. You see a great coantry struggling in the en ■ 
vTrace of war The Republican party devised measures cf enlistment, recruitment 
drafr untTtwo millions of men fought under our banner and subdued our foes. 1 he 
Pepubhcan Z^^ running through the whole gamut of 

curi-en v'taxeTloans. and expenditures, and all the world wondered at our success 
The uSubhcan party dealt with great communities m orgamzed rebellion, and ha. 
restored them aSi/ to their old places in the Union, and now our policy is acqui^ 
escedineven b%\r adversaries. \Ve have dealt, and are now oeahng with the 
^reSnroblem of finance wiih such results that at every step of our progress there i^ 
f:^^L, reduced expemlit.es, re du^ddeo^ ^^l^^'^t^.^S^^oX 




-HARMONT OF PURPOSE. 



^,„ opprc 

equal rights and privileges. 

ITS DIFFERENCES OF OPINieN- 

I would willingly, fellow-citizens, enter into more deta;i3 as to our cyrency, tax 
.Ja ^ariS- but I feel that I have occupied as much of yoar time as I ought. 1 he basis 
nf oSpolicfasto hec/urrencyisasr^^^ possisle to approximate its value to 

^ol^com and to combine in its issue the credit of the Goverarnent and private 
gold coin, ana ^o ^ J'" . ^ ^ ^^ taxes on whisiiey, tooacoo, 

an'd b 'er l^dM ou tar f^^ ta.xe's to reduce them to barely enough to meet our pu jhc 
and t>eer, ana ^i^^J^" f>iiihfullv. On the collattral questions that rise and fall 

^:fSS:^[^S^X^^^on accompanied by opSn dj^scus.ion and inquiry, 
:Hf a viS^to hold on'to that which is good and rej;.ctvhat^whi^isvil h e ^ ^ 



every measure proposea, ana ii mere i.^ guuu lu .. r,^ ""*"f.""Ti,; rr,„=-ir„fio'i 

hivond our iurlsdiciion, no practical measure is beyond ourrea:h. _ Ihe Lonsatutioa 



rVvVifn^rrfor^ millions of reorle whose individual thoughts, like ram-drops 
secure it. 



o 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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